The latest assessment of broadband services in the UK has revealed varying levels of customer complaints, indicating clear winners and losers in the industry. Ofcom, the regulatory body, recently disclosed the complaint scores for different Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the UK, highlighting a notable decline in performance for Vodafone and TalkTalk. These two popular ISPs saw a drop in their rankings compared to their competitors.
Vodafone registered the highest number of complaints at 11 per 100,000 users, marking an increase from the previous evaluation period, indicating a deteriorating trend in customer satisfaction.
According to Ofcom, “TalkTalk and Vodafone were the most complained-about broadband providers. Vodafone experienced an uptick in complaints compared to the previous quarter, while TalkTalk’s complaint figures remained unchanged.”
In contrast, Virgin Media emerged as a top performer in the rankings, showcasing a significant improvement from previous assessments despite past subpar performance.
Ofcom noted, “The least complained-about broadband providers were Plusnet and Virgin Media,” with other ISPs such as Plusnet and Sky also demonstrating commendable performance.
The comprehensive list of broadband providers with their complaint rates per 100,000 users is as follows:
– Virgin Media: 5 complaints
– Plusnet: 5 complaints
– Sky: 7 complaints
– BT: 8 complaints
– EE: 8 complaints
– TalkTalk: 10 complaints
– Vodafone: 11 complaints
Beyond broadband services, Ofcom also evaluates other telecom services, including Landline and Pay-TV complaints. Utility Warehouse excelled in the landline category with only 1 complaint per 100,000 users, while Sky, Virgin Media, and Vodafone also received positive feedback in this segment.
For television services, TalkTalk secured the top spot with the lowest complaints, followed closely by Sky.
The rankings for TV service providers based on complaints per 100,000 users are:
– TalkTalk: 2 complaints
– Sky: 2 complaints
– Virgin Media: 3 complaints
– EE: 5 complaints
Overall, there has been a concerning increase in complaints across the board, attributed largely to recent price hikes affecting numerous households in the UK. Cristina Luna-Esteban, Ofcom’s Director of Consumers and Retail Markets, expressed disappointment over the surge in customer complaints, particularly after a sustained period of decreasing telecom company grievances.
Luna-Esteban stated, “However, a main driver of these complaints appears to be unexpected mid-contract price rises announced for some mobile customers in the Autumn of 2025. We will continue monitoring the market to gauge ongoing customer satisfaction levels through future complaint figures.”